Itanagar: Arunachal Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) vice-president Toko Mina has alleged the death of Naveen Shekharappa Gyanagoudar, a 21-year-old student originally from Karnataka in the Russian shelling of Kharkiv in Ukraine was due to the carelessness of the Centre.
Speaking to the reporters during a dharna organised by the state unit of National Student Union of India (NSUI) at the Indira Gandhi Park here on Wednesday, Mina said that the Indian government ignored the evacuation of Indian citizens from the war zone despite knowing about the tense situation a month before.
The NSUI demanded the return of all Arunachalee students and others stranded in Ukraine, safe and sound to their respective homes. It also asked the state government to bear the entire transport expense of the Arunachalee students.
Mina said neighbouring country Pakistan was prompt enough to plan a strategy a month before to evacuate their citizens. However, the Indian government ignored it and subsequently, we suffered the loss of an innocent medical student.
“Today, only students from India are stranded in Ukraine. It is also a reason due to the impractical advisory of the Ukraine Embassy in such a tense situation that has led to the death of an innocent boy,” she said, questioning the Indian government’s unreliable evacuation strategy.
The Congress vice-president also questioned the delayed strategy of sending four central ministers to Ukraine. She said, while most of the citizens of other countries stranded in Ukraine have been safely evacuated, the Indian government is just engaged in exhibiting late drama.
“The prime minister is not concerned about the Indian students and the citizens, rather is busy in election campaigns in Manipur and other states. This clearly indicates the carelessness of the Modi government and more concern about the elections,” she added.
She also said the state NSUI has raised the concern over the Arunachalee students stranded in Ukraine over a month ago, but the state government responded to it very late.
“Not even a single sympathy message from the state government has been sent nor have they come to the media to talk about it. Now, our own MP and minister at the Centre is on his way to Ukraine. We hope our students return safely,” she said.
